76ers: Nick Nurse Praises Kelly Oubre Jr.'s Energy on Court

Nick Nurse has commented on the return of Kelly Oubre Jr.

It's been nearly a week since Kelly Oubre Jr. made his return to the court after being sidelined for nearly three weeks with a broken rib, appearing in three matches for the Philadelphia 76ers since his return.

Across these three matches, Oubre is averaging ten points and four rebounds on 48 percent from the field.

Comparing this to where the 28-year-old was before his setback, it's clear to see that he has some work to do, as he was putting up 16 points per game on a more than efficient 50 percent from the field, and 38 percent from beyond the arch. 

Following his appearance in Monday night's blowout win against the Washington Wizards, Nick Nurse commented on his return, stating that his energy is one of his biggest outputs.

"I think he really provides energy up the floor, he's one of our top cutters," said Nurse, "you notice that he gets that back door cut, or double team cut once or twice a game, those are big."

Since making his return, Oubre Jr has made himself an interior threat, successfully recording five dunks and one layup in his previous three matches.

The Sixers' head coach would further elaborate on Oubre's performance against the Wizards, seeing both the positives and the negatives in it, while also praising the fitness level at which he returned to playing in.

"I thought he did a lot of things, he maybe forced a couple of shots early in the first half, a little quick," said Nurse, "but other than that, what he brings in overall athleticism, speed, and cutting is good and it looks like he's in shape, in rhythm, and okay."

To Nurse's point, Oubre struggled against his former team on Monday night, only managing to put up seven points across the 17 minutes he appeared in.

When looking into the fitness of Oubre Jr, using playing time as a scale for it, it's clear that he's on the right path to where he once was, averaging 20 minutes since his return, as opposed to the 29 minutes he was averaging before his injury.